Amazing hotel transformations

By Laura Tait

Sometimes, when a once-spectacular hotel has lost its sparkle and a lick of paint simply won’t cut it, there are two options. Bulldoze it to the ground... or throw millions and millions of pounds at it to restore it to its former glory, and then some. Here are some hotels that took option B.

St Pancras Renaissance Hotel
London

Widely considered an architectural gem when it opened in 1873, the railway hotel earned its reputation for crossing boundaries, with such features as water-driven lifts and… wait for it… a revolving door. To be fair, it was Britain’s first revolving door so it was impressive at the time. It needed more to stand out in modern times though - and £150 million later, the St Pancras Renaissance is jaw-dropping once more, with 245 rooms, two top restaurants, extensive meeting space and a luxury spa with swimming pool and barber’s shop.

 

Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund
Shanghai, China

Shanghai's Bund, once known as the ‘Wall Street of Asia’, reopened last year after a £280 million two-year restoration, and as part of the project, its century-old hotel was restored to its former glory and officially re-opened in April, complete with a huge chandelier-and-balcony clad ballroom. It has six character-packed restaurants and bars, including the legendary Long Bar. Its 34-meter bar-top counter was once the longest bar in Asia in the 1910s, and has now been restored into almost exactly what it looked like a century ago.

 

El Palace
Barcelona, Spain

After a two year-closure and £22 million restoration project, this historic central hotel, which was originally built in 1919, reopened in 2009 and it’s actually a little bit surprising the price tag was that 'small'. It’s Savoy-esque in its grand old-school glamour, with its sumptuous fabrics, gilt and rugs inspired by the 19th century, has a posh Mayan Luxury Spa and a Fitness Room, state-of-the-art sound-proofed rooms equipped with all the latest technology, and there’s a Michelin star restaurant to boot.

 

Hotel President Wilson
Geneva, Switzerland

An impressive multi-million pound makeover, completed last year, turned this 5-star property into arguably the best hotel in Geneva – the entire complex screams luxury, from the top-notch leisure facilities and spa and the exclusive pool terrace overlooking the Lake Geneva and the Alps to the in-room Bang & Olufsen LCD screens. This sort of decadence doesn’t come cheap though – the hotel boasts the world’s most expensive suite, at a whopping 75,000 Swiss francs (£54,000). At that price you’d be tempted to steal the grand piano, never mind a bathrobe.

 

The Royal Hawaiian
Hawaii

The 1920s-built Royal Hawaiian reopened in 2009 after an $85 million (£52m) renovation transformed it from a dated pink hotel into a coral palace fit for royalty. Which is quite fitting, because the 14 acres of prime Waikiki beachfront land were originally used as a playground for King Kamehameha I after he conquered the island of Oahu, and Queen Kaahumanu's Summer Palace was previously located in what is now the hotel's Coconut Grove garden. The distinctive historic architecture seamlessly melds with modern design elements with a decidedly chic result.

  

Pera Palace Hotel
Istanbul, Turkey

When it first opened in 1892, the Pera was the Ottoman Empire's first luxury hotel, being the first building other than the sultan's palaces with hot running water and electric lights. Throughout the years it became a playground for aristocrats, writers and film stars, with guests including Winston Churchill, Alfred Hitchcock, The Queen and Greta Garbo. But it slipped into disrepair a few decades ago. A two-year restoration project turned its fortune around though, when it reopened in September last year. Complete, once again, with hot water and electric lights.

 

The Savoy
London

It took £220 million (they had predicted £100m) and three years (they first thought it would take only one), but anyone who has visited the Savoy since it reopened at the end of 2010 might argue it was worth it. Whilst it has undergone a complete tip-to-toe makeover - from the entrance hall and the bars to every single one of the 268 bedrooms and suites, it’s managed to retain the classic glamour of the 121-year-old hotel that made it such an iconic landmark as well the glamorous backdrop for many a lavish party.

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